Pre‐screening of patient‐reported symptoms using the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System in outpatient palliative cancer care

OBJECTIVES: Although early palliative care is associated with a better quality of life and improved outcomes in end-of-life cancer care, the criteria of palliative care referral are still elusive. METHODS: We collected patient-reported symptoms using the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS) at the baseline, first and second follow-up visits. A total of 71 patients were evaluable, with a median age of 65 years, male (62%) and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status distribution of 1/2/3 (28%/39%/33%) respectively. RESULTS: Twenty (28%) patients had moderate/severe symptom burden with the mean ESAS ≥ 5. Interestingly, most of the patients with moderate/severe symptom burdens (ESAS ≥ 5) had globally elevated symptom expression. While the mean ESAS score was maintained in patients with mild symptom burden (ESAS < 5; 2.7 at the baseline; 3.4 at the first follow-up; 3.0 at the second follow-up; p = .117), there was significant symptom improvement in patients with moderate/severe symptom burden (ESAS ≥ 5; 6.5 at the baseline; 4.5 at the first follow-up; 3.6 at the second follow-up; p < .001). CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, advanced cancer patients with ESAS ≥ 5 may benefit from outpatient palliative cancer care. Pre-screening of patient-reported symptoms using ESAS can be useful for identifying unmet palliative care needs in advanced cancer patients.